Divergent High
by AshleyBelleTheGinger
Summary: Tris never wanted to move to Chicago. But is it worthwhile when she meets Four? Rated T for a reason
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

TRIS P.O.V.

The alarm blared its jarring ring at least ten times before I slammed my hand down on the snooze button. I did not want to wake up. Especially since today was my first day at my new high school. Divergent High. I don't know who thought of that, but it's stupid. "Beatrice! Get up! Do you seriously want to be late for your first day?" Of course she had to make a big deal about it. Not like I care. I drag my zombie self out of bed and start to get ready. Black skinny jeans, gray tank top, gray flowy shirt with sparkles on it. Then I brush out my waist length blonde hair, put on a purple beanie, add some makeup, and I'm ready. I run down the stairs and grab a banana on my way out. "Beatrice, you should eat more than that for breakfast," Mom says before I can walk out the door. I smirk slightly. "Don't you have a flight to catch, Mom?" I say before I slam the door. It's not like I don't love my mom, because I totally do. But she acts all strict and has all these rules and she's never here to enforce them. She is a fashion designer for this magazine, I don't know what it's called. My dad coaches a soccer team and he's never here either. I climb into my electric blue Accord and drive off, blaring my music. I pull into the school parking lot and head to the front office to register. The guy working at the desk has all these crazy piercings, but he's pretty cute. He doesn't look older than 19. "Hi, I'm here to register," I say lightly, trying not to sound nervous. "Ah, yes, you're Beatrice Prior, correct?" "Actually it's just Tris." That's my standard response when someone calls me by my full name. "All right, here you go. Your handbook, schedule, and locker combo." "Thanks," I smile. "Sure thing."

I don't want to call attention to myself as I slip quietly into my homeroom. I scan the room for an empty seat, and spot one. Fortunately, it happens to be next to this incredibly hot guy. Unfortunately, the teacher calls me out. "Everyone, this is our new student, Beatrice Prior," he says in this deep booming voice. I try not to growl in frustration. "Actually, it's just Tris," I say as calmly as I can. "Okay, Tris, there's an empty seat next to Four over there." I raise an eyebrow. The incredibly hot guy's name is _Four?_ Things just got weird. I walk to my new seat and sit next to Four. I tune out the teacher while he's talking and start to doodle on my notebook. Then I hear Four speak. "Hey," he says. "Hi," I reply. "I'm Four." "Tris." "Nice beanie," he smirks. "I'm guessing that's a compliment, so thanks," I say sarcastically, turning back to my doodles.

First period ends, and I look at my schedule and try to figure out where the hell I'm going, with no luck. Four stops in front of me, and I bump into him, landing flat on my ass. Nice. "Ow," I mutter. He says, "Oh, I'm so sorry, Tris! I didn't see you behind me." He holds his hands out to help me up, which I gladly accept. "It's okay," I smile. He smiles back. "Do you think you could help find my classes? Because I have no idea where I'm going," I stammer. "Sure."

 **THREE WEEKS LATER**

"Come on, Tris! We're going to be late for the party!" Christina honks her horn at me while I'm finishing my makeup. I want to look good for Four, but I don't know why. Maybe I like him. I'm not sure. I'm running out the door with my Converse in one hand and my crossbody bag in the other. Chris backs out of my driveway, and we speed off to the party, singing along to Taylor Swift.

The party is packed. Christina and I have to yell at each other to be heard. "So, do you like him?" "Who?" "Four, you dummy!" "Maybe, I don't know." "Well, he likes you!" That stops me from dancing for a minute. "He what?" "He likes you, Tris. Haven't you seen the way he looks at you?" "No."

Chris pulls my arm. "Come on, let's go play truth or dare with the group," she says. I let her drag me to the basement, where Uriah, Marlene, Zeke, Shauna, Will, and Four are waiting. "There's my girl," says Uriah sluggishly. He's clearly drunk. We all sit down in a circle. Marlene starts first. "Christina." "Dare." Dance like a monkey on top of the pool table. She scowls, then does exactly that. Christina looks around the room until her eyes settle on me. "Tris." I am not going to do a dare, so I say, "Truth." Chris smiles wickedly. "Do you like Four?" I glare at her and then pull my shirt off. Thank goodness I am wearing a tank top. I am sitting on his right. "Shauna." "Dare!" she squeals. "Play 7 minutes with Zeke in the closet." She drags him into the closet. We all huddle around the door to hear them. Zeke moans and Shauna giggles. We run back to the circle before they come out. Shauna's hair is all messy, and Zeke's pulling his shirt back on. Four wolf whistles. "Nice going, Zeke!" Shauna smirks. "Four." "Dare." "Kiss the cheek of the person sitting on your right." Oh God. He won't do it. Will he? He leans over and softly kisses my cheek. Everyone starts cheering, then laughing when I blush. We continued the game. Four keeps nudging me.

"Triiisss you know you like himmmm," Christina slurs, then acts like she's going to throw up on me. I push her up and and shove her on the couch. "Okay, Will needs to take you home before you hurl on me!" I giggle. I can't help it. I feel all giddy after Four kissed me. The fact that he did it says a lot. "Will! Get this thing off me!" I shriek as she starts gagging. He runs in and carries her out and drives away in her car. Well, great. Now I have no ride. I walk around until I find Uriah. I want to ask him to take me home, but then I remember he's drunk. Four walks up. "Hey, Tris," he says. He looks pretty happy. "So, how about that Truth or Dare game?" "It was fun. I liked it." "I know you did! Especially when you blushed," he smirks. "Yeah..." He changes the subject. "Where's Christina?" "Oh, Will had to take her home, and now I have no way home." "I'll take you home," he says. "Really?" I perk up. "Come on," he says. We walk out to his truck. It's nice and black. He opens my door for me, and then walks around to the other side and gets in. The ride was silent until Four spoke up."So when Christina asked if you like me, why didn't you answer?" I am so confused. Why is he bringing this up now? "I don't know," I mutter. "Obviously you do, because you're blushing," he snaps. "What are you so angry about, Four? I didn't answer the question because I didn't want to!" I shout at him. Jeez, how did this escalate so quickly?

"Why didn't you want to answer the question? You wouldn't hurt my feelings if you said no, okay?" "I wasn't going to say no." "What do you mean?" "I do like you, Four, I just didn't want everybody to know about it. And if you don't like me back, then I guess I came here for no reason," I say, then look away so he doesn't see the blush on my cheeks. I feel the truck stop and look around. We're at my house. My empty house, because Caleb had some stupid club thing, Mom's in Italy, and Dad's somewhere across the country with his stupid soccer team. Four sighs. "Come on. Look at me, Tris. It's okay. I feel the same way about you, alright?" I turn back to him. I smirk slightly. First he was my best friend, and now it will be something more. "Come on, I'll walk to the door," he says, coming around to open the door for me. We walk to my front door together. "Where are your parents, Tris?" he asks, confused. "My mom's in Italy, and my dad is with his soccer team. And my brother is off doing smart school scholar stuff. So I'm alone, as usual," I say as calmly as possible. "You could come hang out with me," Four suggests. "No, it's okay. I like the alone time," I giggle, but stop when I see the red welt marks all over his arm. I grab his arm and pull the sleeve up. "What is this, Four?" "That's nothing. Don't worry about it." Four snatches his arm back. "My dad's not home, so you can come with me if you want." I think for a split second, then follow him. We drive to his house. Four stops suddenly. "Shit," he breathes. "What?" "He isn't supposed to be home until later," he replies. I see a shadow pass by the window and Four flinches. "Why do you have those marks on you, Four?" I ask gently. He looks at me, frightened. "Him," he says.

"Your dad did this to you? Why?" Four doesn't answer. I start to open my door. Four reaches across me and slams it shut again. "What are you doing?" he hisses. "You stay here, I'm going to check this out." I'm out of the truck before he can stop me. I march up to the front door and knock very loudly. Four's dad opens the door and looks shocked to see me. "Who are you?" "My name is Tris." "You're the girl my son keeps talking about. What has he said about me?" I am startled. "What do you mean?" Before I can look back at Four, I am pulled inside the house.

He slams me against the wall. He has me in a choke hold. "Why are you hanging out with him? You look about as worthless as he is!" I struggle to loosen his grip, little whimpers coming out of my mouth as I fight him. "Let go of me!" I scream, my voice sounding strained and weak. The door opens and Four says, "What the hell do you think you're doing to her?" He runs to the man and punches him in the face. I crash to the floor and yelp. Four grabs me and pulls me up and hugs me. "Are you okay?" he whispers into my ear. "Yeah..." Four pulls his phone out and calls 911.

Four's dad is in jail. I have texted Four at least six times today. He won't answer.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

TRIS P.O.V

The phone rings. Then I hear his voicemail. _"Hey, it's Four leave a message after the beep."_ I end the call. I decide to stop. I don't want to seem needy. This is exactly what happened at my old school. A guy and I would get close, then he disappears. I should have known I couldn't start over. I growl in frustration. The sound echoes throughout the empty house. Caleb is gone again. Dad is still with his soccer team. Mom is still in Italy.

I hear a knock at the door. I assume it's Christina. She's the only one who will come over. I go to the door and swing it open. It's not Christina. It's Four. "Hey," he says. _Hey?_ He's been _ignoring_ me, and all he has to say is _hey_? "Hi," I say back, my voice tight. "Can I come in?" "Sure." I close the door and turn around. Four pulls me into a hug and squeezes me tight. "I'm so sorry, Tris. I've been having issues." As soon as he says that, I am relieved. I could start over now. I tell him everything that's been going on, how Caleb never wants to be around me anymore, how Mom and Dad are never here and they feel like strangers to me when they are, and suddenly I'm crying. Four holds me close. "Shh, it's okay, I'm here for you." Four strokes my hair. "I just want them to notice me! Or at least acknowledge that I'm there!" I whimpered. Four grips my shoulders. "Hey look at me. _I_ notice you, okay? I always have." Then I realize something. Four hasn't seen the bruises on my neck yet.

"Are you okay, Tris? Your neck, I mean," Four asks. Oh no. Here we go. He hasn't seen it because I am wearing a turtleneck over my tank top. "Tris," Four warns. "What?" I say, not looking at him. "Let me see," comes the answer. I yank my shirt over my head, leaving me in a very tight tank top. Four gasps. "It was that bad?" I nod. My entire neck is black and blue and purple and in the shape of handprints. Four pulls me close. "Can we talk?" he whispers into my ear. "Um, yeah. Let's go into the living room. I need to sit down."

"So." "So." "About the party, when we played Truth or Dare, and Christina asked if you like me, you didn't answer. Why?" "I already told you why, Four! Remember? We were at your house and that monster did _this_ to me?!" I snap, pointing to my neck. Four looks sad. "Are you mad at me?" he asks gently. "Yes!" "Why? I didn't know he was going to be there!" "You shouldn't have taken me there in the first place! You should've just left me at my house! Or gee, maybe I shouldn't have gone to that stupid party in the first place!" I scream at him. Four grabs my wrists, mainly because I was _thisclose_ to smacking him. "Stop," he says firmly. I just sit there and look at him, breathing heavy. "You're stressed, okay? You're mad because no one's ever here, and you had to take it out on someone. I understand it had to be me," he says, looking into my eyes. I look down. Four still holds my wrists. "You can let go now," I say softly. "What if I don't want to let go?" he smirks. He looks deep into my eyes and leans toward me. I lean too. Our lips meet, and sparks fly. His lips are soft and warm. He pulls back, smiling. I smirk back. "I was waiting for you to do that," I say. "I know," he says back. We lay there on the couch together, and I'm smiling happily as I drift away into sleep.

The colors are so pretty. They make me happy. They are on a screen, the magnificent purples and blues, the floating yellows. I turn away from the screen, and there is Four's dad. He picks me up and slams me against the wall. _Not again!_ I close my eyes for a second. When I open them again, it's not Four's dad pinning me against the wall. It's Four himself. He squeezes harder and his eyes, his beautiful dark blue eyes, turn into black pits. He hurls me onto the ground, and I wake up, gasping. "What? What is it?" Four asks frantically. "I had a nightmare about-about _this_!" I point to my neck. "And it wasn't your dad doing it this time. It was you!" I start trembling and burrow into the couch. "Tris." I am not listening. I hear only my panicked sobbing. Four wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me to him. "Tris, look at me. I would never do that to you. You know that," he soothes me. My heart is still racing, and he puts his hand over it. "Calm down, okay? It was a dream, you're alright. Slow down your breathing," he says calmly. A few minutes later, I am calm. Four is flirting with me. It's quite funny. He'll make fun of something, then I pretend to get mad, he grabs my wrists, and I steal a kiss.

Everything is alright now.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

TRIS P.O.V

Today is Sunday, when I usually go to church. But I just want to stay in my empty house today. I don't even know where Caleb is right now. He won't answer his phone. Or any text messages. I make my way downstairs slowly, and into the room I haven't been in for 3 years. The room where we keep the piano. I remember taking lessons when I was 12 or 13. Mom loved the fact that I was turning into the elegant little lady I should be. Dad loved it even more. He was a musician once. Before he got so interested in soccer. Caleb was the only one who insulted me about it. He always told me it was stupid and pointless. Those were the days when I couldn't insult him back because Mom would yell at me and say it was my fault. I run my fingers over the dusty keys. I make a split second decision and go into the kitchen for a duster. Five minutes later, I am sitting on the bench cracking my knuckles and relishing the fact that I can do that because Mom's not here to scream at me and say I'm not being elegant enough. I text Four and tell him to come over and the door's unlocked.

I pick out a hard tune, the one I've known since the song came out. Just Give Me A Reason by P!nk and Nate Reuss. Before I know it, I'm singing along to the tune. I've never heard myself sing before, so for a moment I don't know where the clear, harmonious voice is coming from. Then I realize: Oh wait. That's me.

 _Now you've been talking in your sleep, oh oh_  
 _Things you never say to me, oh oh_  
 _Tell me that you've had enough_  
 _Of our love, our love_

 _Just give me a reason_  
 _Just a little bit's enough_  
 _Just a second we're not broken just bent_  
 _And we can learn to love again_  
 _It's in the stars_  
 _It's been written in the scars on our hearts_  
 _We're not broken just bent_  
 _And we can learn to love again_

When I finish, there are tears in my eyes. Then I look at my phone. It was on the sound recorder. It had just recorded me playing the piano and singing. I hear shuffling behind me and whirl around. Four is staring at me in awe. I feel self-conscious now. "What?" I say, tucking my hair behind my ear. "Do that again," he says. "Okay."

Afterwards, Four is in shock. "You can sing. And play the piano. What is this, a dream?" "Well, it's not," I smirk. Then I realize Four is trying not to laugh. "What?" I say. He shows me that he was recording me with his phone camera. On video. Oh no. I start to freak out and try to grab the phone, but he holds me back. "What are you so worried about?" "I don't want anyone to see that," I growl. "Why not? You're good!" He pushes some buttons and posts it online. On the Internet! I am _soo_ going to kill him.

I just realized something else. The security camera that's in this room, and only this room. I heard Caleb talking to himself about it. He wanted to make sure that I wouldn't ever go in here again, so he installed it. I shake my head, clearing my jumbled thoughts and focusing on the positive. Like the fact that my hot boyfriend is in my house. I look up at him and wink. He scoops me up and carries me to the living room. I thought I saw an evil look in his eyes as he went into the other room...

 _What is happening to me?_ I slowly slide off the couch and slowly step toward the stairs. Then I abandon all caution and scamper to my room upstairs. I close the door and reach for the lock. It's not there. Wait. _It's. Not. There?! Where's the lock on my door?_ Caleb. Why did he take the lock off my door? Is he insane? I look for something heavy to put in front of the door so no one can get in. I find a chair, but it will have to do. I jam it under the knob and hide in the corner adn try to breathe. What is up with Four? I start thinking about it when I hear a shuffling in my closet. I advance toward it, grabbing a book in case I need to hit something. I swing the door open and something tries to swing on me. So naturally I smack it with the book.

"Ow! Beatrice! That hurt!" Caleb screams. "What were you doing in my closet, you creeper?" I yell at him. "I told you playing the piano was stupid and pointless. And you never listen to me!" he shouts. I really do not like to be insulted. Especially by my jerk of a brother. " _You're_ stupid and pointless!" I shriek. Well, that was a mistake. I have never seen Caleb so angry. His eyes are full of rage, but his voice is calm. "Window. Now." he says quietly. "What?" "You're going to climb out of your window and dangle from the roof until I say to come back up," he replies. "I am not going to do that!" I sneer. "I am trying to teach you a lesson, Beatrice, but you are insisting on being selfish and not doing what I tell you!" he snarls. "You're telling me to practically kill myself out there! Of course I'm not going to do that, you idiot!"

All of a sudden, we hear a bang as Four busts the door open. "What's happening?" he asks. "Get out." "No. You won't hurt her." " _Get out! Now!_ " Caleb roars. "Beatrice! _The window._ " I am so furious with him right now, I just snap. I clock him in the head with my book as I say, " _Don't. Call. Me. Beatrice!_ You know how much I hate that name!" Caleb grabs me around the waist and carries me to the window as I flail and struggle. He unlatches the window and holds my wrists while the rest of me dangles. " _Say you're sorry, Beatrice.."_ He starts to let me slip. " _Caleb, no!_ " Four yells, sprinting to catch me. His fingers barely brush mine as I fall, the air whistling around me as I descend. I hit the ground and hear a sickening crunch as white-hot pain races through my body like I've been electrocuted. I catch a glimpse of Four's tear-stained face before consciousness slips through my fingers like a piece of thread. And everything goes dark.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

TRIS P.O.V

When I wake up, I have no idea where I am. My brain feels like it's filled with peanut butter and then fried at 400 degrees. My jumbled thoughts all collide as I sit up.  
 _Who._  
 _Am._  
 _I._  
 _Caleb._  
 _Say you're sorry,_  
 _Beatrice_

And my stomach. Oh dear God, my stomach. Sloshing around like I'm in a car with no shock absorbers driven by a drunk who's just decided to take a shortcut through a timber yard. "Nauseous" doesn't cover it. My eyes travel around the room until I spot the person sitting in the chair. Four. "What happened?" I croak. I sound like my throat was just a parade route for a troop of hermit crabs. Yow. "You broke your ankle, Tris," he says gently. _Oh. Now I remember. Caleb threw me off a roof._ "Where is he?" I ask. "Caleb is in jail," he replies. "Why would he throw me off the roof?" "I heard his confession. He said that you were always the favorite and that he wanted to be the only one who mattered, so he tried to kill you. I was _thisclose_ from wringing his neck like a chicken," Four hisses. At that moment, the doctor strolls in, holding a clipboard. "Ah, Beatrice, you're awake." "I really don't like that name." "Why not? It's beautiful." "My brother called me that name right before he threw me off a roof. I would like to be called Tris," I say bluntly. "Okay, Tris. Sorry about that. Uh, okay, here we have an x-ray of your foot. As you can see, there is a break in both the talus and the tibia-" I cut her off. "The who and the what?" I say, totally confused. "The talus is the bone in your ankle. The tibia is in your leg," the doctor says shortly, like it was obvious. "Whatever," I roll my eyes. "As I was saying, there are breaks in both the talus and tibia. So let's talk about treatment. It will take about 7-8 weeks for your bones to fully heal, but for about 3-4 weeks, we will have you in a plaster cast with crutches. Then for the remaining weeks, you will have an air boot. Any questions?" I shake my head no, but I groan inwardly. I _hate_ crutches. I had to use them when I was little, and they irritated me so much I wanted to burn them. "And you will not be able to attend school for a week. I already have your excuse here for you." _Yes!_

I hobble out of the hospital on my horrible crutches. I honestly don't know how I am going to survive three weeks on these stupid things. I finally have to stop because my arms are killing me. Four realizes that I am not behind him, and turns to look at me. He sighs. "Stay here," he says. He pulls the truck up to me, and gets out. He takes my crutches and puts them in the back. Then he lifts me up and sets me in the passenger seat of his truck. The ride home is silent. Four seems distant. "Four?" "Hmm?" "Are you okay?" "Ha. You're the one who got thrown off a roof, and _you're_ asking _me_ if I'm okay?" "Are you?" "No." "Why?" The truck stops. We are at my house now. Four avoids my eyes. "Hey. Look at me," I plead. "What's bothering you?" "If I hadn't left you alone, this wouldn't have happened!" Tears spill down his cheeks. "It wasn't your fault, Four. Caleb would have done it sometime anyway." He carries me into the house. He sets me down and turns to walk away. "Four, wait." "What?" "Come here." I hug him and he buries his face in my neck. "I'm sorry, Tris."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that night, I am trying to fall asleep. My legs are cold. I am wearing my blue ribbon-trimmed nightie from Victoria's Secret. It offers no warmth at all. I turn over, trying to get comfortable. Then I see them. The eyes. They blink, then move closer. My heart is frozen over with terror. I scream so loud it echoes throughout the house. The eyes disappear when the light turns on. Four runs to me. "What is it?" "I saw h-his eyes. T-they were looking at me and c-coming closer and I-I was so scared!" I sob. Four wraps his arms around me and rocks back and forth. My sobs gradually subside. I bury my face in Four's shoulder and try to breathe. I fall asleep that way, wrapped in warmth.

The next day is eventful. Four is at school. I wake up and he's gone. He left me a note saying he hopes I feel better and to not hurt myself while he's gone. _Ha. Like that's even remotely possible._ Except when I realize that my stupid crutches are downstairs, and I am upstairs. I hop out of my room and down the hallway but stop when I get to the stairs. What I didn't know was that I have been asleep the entire day. I also didn't know that Four was walking through the door. I go to take a step when the door bangs open from the wind, startling me and causing me to lose my balance. Therefore I fall down the stairs. Everything shakes and tumbles and unravels like the threads in a rug. I close my eyes to will the dizziness away, and when I open them, Four is staring down at me with amusement. "Now what do you think _you're_ doing?" he chuckles. He pulls me up, careful not to hit my cast. "You left my crutches down here, so I was coming to get them when I lost my balance," I murmur. Then I realize something. "Wait!" I bolt up. "Does my mom know you're living here now?" "Of course. I called her using your phone and explained the situation to her, and she told me to tell you to call her when you woke up." I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Hi Mom it's me." "Tris! How is your leg? Are you okay?" "Yeah I'm fine." "I can't believe your brother would do that to you." "Did Four tell you that's he living here with me now?" "Yes darling I know. He sounds like a nice boy." "He is. Well, I just wanted to call you and let you know how I'm doing." "Okay bye sweetheart. I love you." "Love you too, Mom," I say, then hang up the phone. I flinch when I feel arms wrap around my waist, but I relax when I realize it's just Four. "Are you always this twitchy?" he whispers in my ear. "Yeah, well, normally I don't like people touching me, but you're the only exception. I still flinch, though." "I can see that," he says, trying not to laugh. I smack his chest and hop away. "Oh, no you don't," he says, catching me and pulling me back. "You don't need to go hurting yourself again," he tells me, pulling me close.

 **TWO DAYS LATER**

The doctors are taking my cast off sooner than expected. They don't want me to miss any more school, so I get promoted to an air boot. Yay!

"Now, Tris, this is going to hurt a lot, okay?" I nod, squeezing Four's hand so tight my knuckles are turning white. The doctor slowly begins to saw the cast off. The pain is excruciating, but I do not let it show on my face. I just squeeze Four's hand tighter. The orderly arrives with the air boot and they get me fitted. Now we are on our way to school. It's still first period, and Four planned it that way. He wanted an early appointment so I wouldn't miss as much of the school day.

"Welcome back, Tris! Where have you been?" Christina whips around, looking shocked that I'm alive. "TRIS!" she shrieks, and launches herself at me. "I've been so worried about you, what happened, are you okay?!" she talks so fast I can barely understand her. "I'm fine," I tell her. The teacher is pretty nosy, too. "What happened to your leg, Tris? It looks painful," he says. I look at Four and raise my eyebrow. _Should I tell him?_ Four nods. "Um, my, uh, my brother, um, threw me off a roof," I stammer. The entire class turns to look at me. "I read about that in the paper. Caleb Prior, is it?" I nod, clenching my fists. _If he_ ever _gets out of jail, I am going to shred that murdering liar._ "Can I sit down, please? I'm not supposed to stand up for too long." Everyone turns back to their work as me and Four sit down. Apparently they're doing this thing where you get up and walk around the room, asking people questions and writing things down on a worksheet. Before I know it, Peter, yeah, _Peter_ walks up to me. I'm really wary, because I've heard he'll slam someone into the lockers for no reason. "Are you okay, Tris?" he asks gently. Four raises his eyebrow.

Turns out Peter's my new best friend. Four's not been at school for two and a half weeks, so I've been relying on Chris and Peter to help me out. He's always asking how I feel and buying me hot cocoa (which I love, by the way), and helping me when I can't reach something. I call Four for the seventh time, and leave a message. But he answers my texts. Weird.  
 _Me: hey_  
 _Four: hey_  
 _Me: where are you_  
 _Four: my presence was required at my dad's trial, which has lasted almost three weeks. the school is excusing it as a family emergency_  
 _Me: i wish you were here with me_  
 _Four: i know i do too baby_  
 _Me: peter's been helping me_  
 _Four: WHAT_  
 _Me: calm down_  
 _Four: "helping" you? how?_  
 _Me: don't give me that. he helps me walk when i'm hurting, gets things i can't reach, and he buys me hot cocoa_  
 _Four: that's not fair. i'm the one who buys you hot cocoa_  
 _Me: but you aren't here_  
 _Four: there's nothing i can do about that_  
 _Me: well then jeez four you can't get mad at me when peter buys me hot cocoa and you can't help that you're not here!_  
 _Four: stop_  
 _Me: no! you made me angry now i'm going to rant until i calm down_  
 _Four: stop it tris_

I am so ready to throw my phone at the wall. I guess Peter sees that too because he pries my phone from my stonelike fingers and sets it aside. He slides an arm around me as he says, "Come on, Tris. Calm down. It's okay." I flinch. "What?" he asks, concerned. "Nothing, I just flinch whenever someone touches me," I tell him. A hurt look flashes across his face. "Do you flinch whenever _Four_ touches you? Or is because of me?" he spits. I flinch again, but this time I'm afraid. "I do that whenever _anyone_ touches me," I whimper. "Hey, I'm sorry, okay?" He pulls me close. I rest my head on his shoulder. "Well, look who's getting cozy with Peter!" Christina teases. Then she sees the look on my face. "Aww, what's wrong?" "Four's not here! And he's irritating me! He's getting all huffy at the fact that Peter's been helping me. _I_ think he's jealous," I growl. "Peter's, like, his enemy or something. He hates him because he was afraid that he would hurt you like people say he hurts other people," Christina reports. Peter's eyes flash with anger. " _What?_ Is that all that he thinks of me? I would never hurt Tris. She's the reason why I'm nice to everyone now," he says. "Really?" I perk up. Just knowing the fact that I have that effect on someone like Peter, who used to be a bully, makes me feel like I've made a difference. Peter still looks like he's about to flip a table. I put my hand on his shoulder. "Peter." That breaks the spell. He blinks a few times, then looks over at me and smiles.

I can't believe that Four and I have been dating for almost three months.

Later that night, Four is sitting on the couch eating pizza. **(A/N: Four was staying in a hotel during his father's trial, but he's back home now.)** I scowl at his back. I am still angry with him over our conversation. I go and sit next to him on the couch, arms crossed. Four chuckles. "Hey, grumpy," he says. I glare at him. My phone buzzes between us. I go to grab it, but Four is faster than me. "Why are you texting _Peter_?" his lip curls up in disgust. "Because he's my friend," I retort, trying to snatch my phone back. Four scrolls through me and Peter's conversation. "He's telling you jokes? And you're _laughing at them?_ You never laugh at my jokes," He shouts. "You never tell me any jokes! You're always so serious all the time!" I yell back. Four runs his hands through his hair, a sign that he's really upset. "I don't get it, Tris. You never spend time with me anymore because you're with _Peter!_ " he says. "Because you're never here! You don't seem to want to spend time with me! What do you expect me to do? Sit at home and be miserable because you don't want to be with me?" Four doesn't answer, only looks away. My voice lowers considerably. "Do you?" "What?" "Do you still want to be with me, Four?" I gulp. Suddenly I'm afraid I know the answer. "I honestly don't know anymore, Tris." "It's a yes or no question," I snap.

"No, Tris. I don't want to be with you anymore." My face pales and I look down at my hands as tears begin to well in my eyes. "You can go run to Peter now," he hisses. "Why?" "You always get mad at me for the stupidest things, and I decided I don't want to be with a scowling angry girl who doesn't even act like a girl anymore!" he yells. God. That stung. A lot. Four packs his things within the next few minutes. As he's leaving, he throws a jewelry box at me. "You can keep that," he sneers, then slams the door. I'm caught off guard by how much of a brick the box is, and I'm not prepared to catch it. It falls ony my foot, and I suck in a panicked breath before screams of agony rip themselves from by body. I crumple to the floor screaming and crying. I fumble for my phone to call someone. Peter. Anybody. I dial his number with shaking hands, trying to quiet my shrieking sobs. "Tris?" Peter answers. "Peter, help me!" I cry. "What's going on? What happened?" "My f-foot! Please Peter I need you here!" I start crying again. "Okay, shh, I'm coming. I'll be there in a few minutes. Is your door unlocked?" "Yes hurry!" "Calm down, Tris. It's going to be alright."

I can't seem to quiet my sobs. Or the strangled screams in between. I need my medicine, but obviously I can't get to it. I faintly hear the door creak open, and Peter gasps. "Oh, Tris," he whispers. He wraps his arms around me, and sets me gently on the couch. He gets a bag full of ice from the freezer and slowly takes my air boot off. I immediately feel immense relief. The boot was weighing my foot down and hurting it more. He sits across from me and puts a pillow in his lap, then puts my foot on the pillow and ices it. My crying goes down some. I'm still sobbing a little.

"What happened, Tris? Where's Four?" Peter asks, moving to sit behind me. "Four's gone," I sniffle. "What do you mean?" "Four broke up with me!" I start sobbing again. Peter pulls me to him and holds me close. "He was so mean about it. He said he didn't want to be with me anymore and then he threw something heavy at me and I couldn't catch it and it landed on my foot and it hurt so much and I couldn't stop screaming and-" "Shh," Peter soothes me. "It's okay. I'm here now."

I can't believe it.

Four broke my heart.

 **(A/N: Ooh, drama! Give me good reviews and I'll continue the story!)**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

TRIS P.O.V

First period is exhausting. I had to come up with an excuse so I wouldn't have to sit next to _Four._ I asked the teacher if I could sit in the back near the door so I wouldn't have as far to walk. Of course, the teacher bought it. So now I sit next to Peter. Four keeps shooting Peter dirty looks. You would think that he would give me dirty looks, but he refuses to acknowledge that I exist. I turn back to my assignment, which gives me a list of words to define. I groan. I get up and head to the shelf where all the educational books are. The dictionaries are on the top shelf. If I didn't have this stupid boot, I could easily jump and get it. But now I have to be extra careful that I don't hurt myself. (And I have to make sure Peter doesn't see.) I get ready to jump when Peter says, "Now I don't think you should do that, Tris." I turn around. He smirks at me. I growl in frustration. "That's the second time I've caught you doing that," he continues. "So?" I snap. "You are very sneaky," He says as he reaches to the shelf and grabs a dictionary.

"So, do you like him?" Christina asks me at lunch. "Who?" "Peter, you dummy!" she says. "Maybe. I don't know." "Well, he likes you." "He what?" "He likes you, Tris. He told me. And haven't you seen the way he looks at you?" I don't have an answer to that. Me and Peter are just friends, but I've been feeling a lot more than friendship for a while. Even while I was with Four, I felt that. Does that make me a bad person? I have no clue. Peter sits next to me and asks,"What are you talking about?" "Nothing," I say immediately, and hide my blush by turning away.

Fourth period is worse. Most of my friends are in that class. The bad part is, they are friends with Four, too. And I hear Zeke and Four talking about me.

"Dude, look at her. Do you see how sad Tris looks? Why in the world did you make me break up with her?" "Her older brother has that murder gene thing going on. You know, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." "You mean, she would have eventually done the same thing to me?" "Exactly, man."

That's it. I've had enough. I look around to see where the teacher is, adn thankfully, he is outside with Christina as she rattles on about extra credit. I slam my phone down on the desk, and Peter looks up, alarmed. "Tris? What are you doing?" I hobble over to where Zeke and Four are and stand behind him. He doesn't notice me, just keeps on talking. Four sees me, though. He raises his eyebrow. "I mean, she could something way worse, dude. She could chop your arm off. Or she would castrate you. Something like that," he says. I tap him on the shoulder. He turns around and sees the expression on my face. Immediately, he's flustered. "Oh, uh, hey Tris. What's up?" he stammers. "I could hear you talking about me. If you have something to say, then say it to my face. Or better yet, don't say it at all! And never tell Four to break up with someone again, because that just shows how much of a _coward_ you are!" I snap, then turn away and hobble to my seat.

Shauna turns to him with an irritated look on her face. "Is that true?!" she shrieks. "NO," he says defensively. "You know what? I have had it with you! You and I are through, Zeke," she hisses furiously. "Shauna, no, wait a second-" "No! I don't want your crap excuses! We all know how mean you are. I was hoping you wouldn't do it to someone as sweet as Tris, but obviously I was mistaken. What is _wrong_ with you, Zeke? Why would you hurt someone like that? You know what, I don't care anymore. Go ruin someone else's life, jerk!" She screams at him, then storms out of the classroom. Zeke turns to me, his eyes cold. " _How dare you?_ I once thought you were my friend, Tris. Obviously not. You are worthless! You will never be good enough for Four, or even Peter!" he yells, then turns away and slams his things down on his desk. Four is next. "Did you hear that, Four? He said the exact same thing as your stupid father. Who knows, maybe there's some truth in what they say." I cross my arms and look away. The teacher walks in at that moment, along with Christina. "What happened in here?" she asks with wide eyes. Everyone is on edge and me, Four, Peter, and Zeke are all angry.

Me and Christina are walking to her car when she asks me what happened. "Are you okay?" she pries. "I'm fine. I don't need a ride." "What? Why not?" "According to Zeke, I'm worthless. So I am not worth a ride home. So I'm walking," I reply. Christina nods, looking sad. "Okay. You need your space."

I'm limping along the road when I hear a distinct motor behind me. I look, and curse under my breath. Great. It's Four. Of course he comes along when I'm at my weakest. He stops and rolls down the window. "Get in," he says. I shake my head. "I'm not asking, Tris! Get in!" he insists. I heave a sigh and climb in.

"Can we talk?" Four asks gently. I scoff. "What is there to talk about?" He changes the subject. "How's your ankle?" I fight back tears. "It's getting worse," I croak. "How?" "You're the reason it's not getting better, Four," I say. "What? What did _I_ do?" he snaps. "You threw that heavy box at me, and it landed on my foot. See?" I say, yanking my boot off, gritting my teeth. Four gasps. My ankle is purple and swollen. "Tris, I-" "Look at this! Look at what you did to me! This is all your fault!" I scream, tears pouring down my cheeks. I lace my boot back up, grab my bag, and stumble out of the truck even though it's still moving. I walk the rest of the way home. I faintly hear Four call my name, but I don't care anymore. Sometime during the walk back, it starts raining. Great. More good things happening. Yeah. Not. I slam the front door, dripping water everywhere. I sink to the floor, shivering with cold and fear. Next thing I know, Peter is kneeling in front of me. "What happened?" "Four gave me a ride home and he tried to talk and I told him he's the reason my foot's worse and he yelled at me and I was so scared and I yelled back saying it was all his fault and then I ran. Peter, I'm so sick of feeling like this, please help me, I can't take it anymore!" I cry.

"Okay. Come here, it's alright." Peter pulls me close and wraps his arms around me, holding me tightly. He leads me to the couch and we sit down. I take deep, shuddering breaths as I try to calm down. "Tris." I shake my head. "Look at me." I shake my head again. He grabs my chin and turns my face to his. "Listen to me. You're going to be fine, Tris. Okay?" I nod. His hand slides to my wrist. I put my head on his shoulder and try to think calming thoughts. Eventually it works because I am able to sit up. "Peter?" "Hmm?" "Why did you start being so nice to me?" "Because I like having you around," he says, smirking. "Oh really? Well what makes you think that _I_ like having you around?" He leans closer to me. "Because I'm the one who buys you hot cocoa," he whispers. I giggle hysterically. He leans in closer until we're inches apart. "Do you see me the same way I see you, Tris?" he says. I nod. He leans ever closer and softly presses his lips to mine. Kissing him is like nothing else I have ever experienced. It's like hot coals have been placed into my stomach. Then a stick of dynamite was added and sparks ignited, creating a passion of which I have never known. It's almost indescribable, how he makes me feel.

I pull away, and I'm grinning like an idiot. "Thank you," I say. "That helps a lot." "Yeah, I know," Peter smirks. He wraps his arm around me and pulls me closer. I smile to myself. This is exactly what I need to make things better.

 **(A/N: Yay! Peter and Tris finally got together! Petris all the way! Leave a nice review for me and I'll continue with this!)**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

TRIS P.O.V

No one talks. The silence is excruciating. People glance between me, Zeke, Four, and Peter. It's starting to feel normal. I thought what was said in fourth block yesterday would stay in fourth block. Nope. It traveled to first block. The teacher notices how quiet it is and that everyone keeps looking at me, he speaks up. "Why is this class so quiet? It's unnatural. You are my rowdiest class. Tris, is something wrong?" I look up. "Huh?" "I said, is something wrong?" "No, why?" "Everyone keeps glancing at you." "I'm fine." "Well, then, class, stop staring at her and let her do her assignment!" the teacher snaps. I am the only one who has an assignment because of the school I missed because of my injury. I frown. Why does Four keep _looking_ at me like that? I narrow my eyes at him until he looks away. I roll my eyes.

I walk alone to my second class.

And the next.

Why?

When I get home, I have a crazy idea. Painting to get my anger out. I get in my car and zip to the store. I buy several different colors of spray paint and sponges, and hurry back home.

Time to start.

I begin by painting a rainbow. Simple, but tells a deep, complex story. Beside the rainbow is me. Looking up at the rainbow in awe. But next comes the truth. The rainbow's colors bleed together. Then they form a dark, seething mass of evil. Out of the evil comes a face. Yellow slits for eyes that glow like the gates of Hell. Mouth with rows and rows of gleaming shark's teeth. Blood drips slowly, crimson blossoming from the body beneath it. Travel farther along, and you'll see despair. It's a pit. Black like the night, but not the lightning. No, the lightning is disturbing. Bright flashes of red and blue and green. Illuminating the creatures from my nightmares. Hands form with sharp claws, trying to drag my crumpled, broken body into the pit, while I'm struggling to get away. I stop for a minute and breathe. Then I begin again. Now I'm not controlling my hand. It paints a face to go with the hands dragging me down into the pit of despair. The face that I am very familiar with. Four. I gasp and drop the can of spray paint. Then there's a knock on the door. I realize something. Things always happen in sets of three before something _really_ bad happens. Four looked at me weird, that's one, the painting of Four dragging me away, that's two, the knock on the door, that's three. I pick the can back up, wipe my hands on my pants, and set the can on the dresser before slowly making my way downstairs.

As soon as I open the door, I regret it. Four bursts into my house and does the one thing he always does in my nightmares. He wraps his hand around my throat and slams me against the wall. "We. Need. To. Talk." he says. I struggle to get out of his grip and he lets me go. I stand back up as he starts talking. "I don't understand. Zeke made me break up with you. Why can't we start over?" "Gee, I don't know, because you threw a box at me and it landed on my injured foot? Or maybe it's because you just burst into my house, wrapped your hands around my throat, and slammed me against the wall!" "I still have feelings for you, Tris. Please take me back." "No! I'm not crazy!" He slaps me hard across my face. And then gives me a black eye. He hits me until I'm unconscious, then leaves. "That'll teach you to talk to _me_ like that!" is the last thing I hear before everything fades away.

I wake up when I feel arms around me. I freak out and try to hit whoever is touching me when I hear, "Shh Tris it's just me. Calm down, it's okay."  
Peter.  
Thank God.

Peter is angry when he sees what Four did to me. He cleans the blood off and puts an ice pack to my black eye and carries me to the couch. He pulls me into his lap and rubs my back. I love how sweet he is to me.

A few days later, my black eye is gone. My face is clearer. I'm examining my face in the mirror when Peter walks in. "I am going to take you on a real date." "Um okay."

He takes me to a skating rink. We rent the skates. **(A/N: I know you're all very confused, but Tris had her boot removed two weeks before this date.)** I'm worried that I'll fall. Which I do. Flat on my butt. Peter takes my hands and pulls me up. He holds me close while he helps me balance. I lean up and steal a kiss, and then summon the courage to skate away. "You little booger," he says and comes after me. He wraps his arms around my waist and picks me up, twirling me around while I giggle. It's contagious. "I know what you want," Peter whispers into my ear. "What?" "Hot cocoa," he says. I squeal and hug him so tight he can't breathe.

We walk in the door, still trying to catch our breath from so much laughter. I collapse on the couch and Peter follows. "You know what I like about your house?" "What?" "You have a piano." I frown. Peter plays piano, too? "Come here," he says, and leads me into the piano room. I avoided this room until now. I freeze in the doorway, and Peter looks concerned. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" "The last time I was in here, Caleb attacked me and threw me off a roof," I swallow nervously. Peter turns to the piano and plays a simple, clean melody. I'm shocked. I never pegged Peter as the musical type. He stops and smiles at me. "I watch a lot of videos on YouTube," he says, laughing. I gesture to the laptop sitting on the side table. "Go right ahead," I allow. He searches for people playing piano and singing. One video is labeled "This Girl Totally Ruins Music" and Peter reads the description. I read the name. Number4SK8s. Somehow I know it's Four. The video he posted of me. Singing. I thought I sounded good. I must be wrong. The video starts and my fingers immediately play the tune. "You know this song?" I smile. When the singing starts, the camera pans around to my face. Peter's eyebrows shoot up. My voice sounds like nothing I have ever heard, except people with angelic voices. Wow.

Peter shut the laptop and turns to me. "Do it for real." I smile and turn to the piano. I begin the melody and start singing.

 _Now you've been talking in your sleep, oh oh_  
 _Things you never say to me, oh oh_  
 _Tell me that you've had enough_  
 _Of our love, our love_

 _Just give me a reason_  
 _Just a little bit's enough_  
 _Just a second we're not broken just bent_  
 _And we can learn to love again_  
 _It's in the stars_  
 _It's been written in the scars on our hearts_  
 _We're not broken just bent_  
 _And we can learn to love again_

I finish and turn to Peter. His eyes are shining. He stands me up and pulls me close. "You are beautiful in everything you do," he says softly into my ear. I blush madly and tuck my hair behind my ear. I am content now and I have nothing to worry about. I just stay here, in this moment, in Peter's warm embrace.


End file.
